WORKERS’ RIGHT TO KNOW: A Matter of Life and Death
The scariest thing about the chemical spill in West Virginia this month was not the leaky storage tanks that had not been inspected in twenty years – or the spectacle of nine counties without safe...
View ArticleNorthwestern Athletes demand union representation!
ESPN’s ‘Outside the Lines’ reported that for the first time in college sports history, athletes are demanding representation by a labor union. And it’s about time. Armen Keteyian and Jeff Benedict’s...
View ArticleIllinois Ranks 3rd Nationwide in New Business Establishments
A recent study shows Illinois is in the top 5 nationally for job creation in the last 4 years. You heard that correctly. TOP 5! And Number 1 for private sector job growth in the Midwest. NUMBER 1. For...
View ArticleThe American Workplace These Days Can Be Too Much To Bear
Here at EE&A we hear a lot of horror stories about on-the-job hazards. Still, every once in awhile we come across one that blows even our minds. Take this story of an OSHA fine against the...
View ArticleNorthwestern Football Players Can UNIONIZE!!!
The Chicago Tribune reported today that the National Labor Relations Board ruled that Northwestern University football players are employees of the school and are therefore entitled to a union...
View ArticleWHERE TO GET A SLICE OF JUSTICE IN CHICAGO
It’s good to get word of business owners – large or small – doing the right thing. Our friends at Arise Chicago sent us the cheerful news of a pizzeria on the Northwest Side that believes its...
View ArticleSOUTH SIDE STEELWORKERS: THE STRIKE STILL WORKS
Workers at Allied Tube and Conduit voted for a new contract May 5, ending a week-long strike. A strike, you say? I thought industrial workers didn’t dare do that anymore! Well, it’s a hard decision...
View ArticleHOW DO YOU REPORT AN INJURY OR ILLNESS WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT’S WRONG?
Good news this week from the Illinois Appellate Court: injured workers still have a few rights that are protected by common law and common sense. The case concerned a grain-elevator employee who...
View ArticleSTEELWORKERS ON STRIKE AGAINST THE $9,000 DEDUCTIBLE
Yes, you read that right. The owners of Sloan Valve, a Franklin Park manufacturer of plumbing fixtures, thinks that employees with families should accept a policy that requires them to lay out...
View ArticleNLRB General Counsel rules that McDonald’s could be Liable for Franchisee’s...
The New York Times reported that NLRB’s general counsel found 43 labor and wage violation claims, against multiple McDonald’s locations, had merit. These claims included claims for illegal termination...
View Article“All this because someone got hurt at work?”
The folks at ProPublica have hit another home run with an expose of the “Workers Comp Industrial Complex.” It’s an apt name for the flock of for-profit healthcare companies, case managers, rent-a-cops...
View ArticleWorkers’ Comp 101: Are Temps and Part-Timers Eligible?
The short answer? YES. Under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act, employers must carry workers’ compensation insurance on ALL their employees. It doesn’t matter how many hours you work, whether...
View ArticleBehind Rauner’s Attacks on Workers Comp: The Truth About “Pre-Existing...
“Workers’ comp reforms” are a central part of Gov. Rauner’s agenda for Illinois. But what kind of “reforms” does Rauner want, exactly? According to his “Turnaround Plan”, he’d like to narrow the...
View ArticleWorkers’ Comp “Reform” – Attack of the Company Doctors
Last week National Public Radio (NPR) told the heartbreaking and infuriating story of Ken Schiller, a Texas man disabled in a serious work accident. A catastrophic head injury left Schiller unable to...
View ArticleWorkers’ Comp 101: The Case of the Dueling Insurance Companies
“WorkersComp denied my claim. But my group insurance won’t pay because I reported a work injury. Help!” We see injured workers caught in this trap every day. The employer’s workers’ compensation...
View ArticleFrom Flint Water Crisis to LA Gas Leak, Our Infrastructure is Crumbling and...
We know our readers share our horror and outrage at the ongoing “water crisis” in Flint, Michigan. In order to save a few bucks, Flint’s state-appointed emergency managers switched the city’s water...
View ArticleWhat’s Happening at Asarco/Grupo Mexico
Over 2,000 workers at Asarco/Grupo Mexico facilities in Arizona and Texas have been fighting for a fair contract for more than two years. The company’s response has been to retaliate against workers,...
View ArticleIllinois Trial Lawyers’ President Perry Browder Issues a Statement Regarding...
Statement from Illinois Trial Lawyers President Perry Browder February 17, 2016 Across Illinois, seniors, individuals with disabilities and other vulnerable citizens are going without vital services...
View ArticleWho Can Peoples Gas Customers Count On? The Union Workforce.
“Peoples Gas’ union is declaring war on the utility’s new owner,” according to Crain’s Chicago Business. Well, we’ve known Utility Workers Local 18007 for a long time, and can assure you they are nice,...
View ArticleNot An Accident
Celeste Monforton and her team at the Pump Handle Blog have been running a series of articles on workplace deaths. It makes for grim reading. But perhaps the most important thing is the title: “NOT AN...
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